Blog note. Jesus indicated that ‘fearful sights’ (various natural disasters) would occur leading up to the time known as the Tribulation and Great Tribulation (a combined seven year period of great destruction on earth). Although these types of things have occurred in the past for centuries and thousands of years, they could be identified as the ‘season of the times’ due to the ferociousness of these events. They would be occurring in greater intensity, severity, frequency, size, duration, scope … just like the pains that a woman experiences in labor the farther along she is in the labor process. We are in the ‘season of the times’ that comes just before the seven (7) year Tribulation/Great Tribulation period
… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11).
… And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)
… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken; (Luke 21:26)
… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)
Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains, growing in intensity, frequency, size and duration.

African swine fever hits industrial farms in Vietnam, 2.8 million pigs culled

Reuters•June 25, 2019

HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam has culled nearly 10% of its pig herd to contain an African swine fever outbreak that has started hitting large-scale industrial farms, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.

Earlier outbreaks have appeared mostly at small household farms but have now started to occur at larger industrial operations, including Phu Son Farm in Dong Nai province near Ho Chi Minh City, the statement said.

“This is a very worrying sign as these farms have tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of pigs each and therefore the damages would be significant,” the government said in a statement posted to its official website.

African swine fever, which is deadly to pigs but harmless to humans, was first detected in Vietnam in February and has spread to farms in 60 of the country’s 63 provinces, according to the statement.

Authorities have this week culled hundreds of pigs at Phu Son Farm, home to more than 18,000 pigs, Bach Duc Luu, the deputy head of Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health, said on Tuesday.

A representative of the farm, owned by Phu Son Livestock Joint Stock Co, declined to comment.

Phu Son Farm, founded in 1976, is one of the oldest of its kind in Vietnam. The farm supplies pork mostly to Dong Nai province and neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

Nationwide, Vietnam has culled more than 2.8 million pigs in the outbreak, the government said in the statement, up from 2.5 million pigs a week ago.

In March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) advised Vietnam to declare the outbreak a national emergency, but officials said last week they had no plans to do so.

Heavy rains in southern Vietnam could help the virus spread further, Luu said.

Nguyen Van Long, head of epidemiology at the animal health department said that it was “only a matter of time” before the disease spreads to all 63 provinces.

Pork makes up three-quarters of total meat consumption in Vietnam, a country of 95 million people where most of its 30 million farm-raised pigs are consumed domestically.

The country’s pork industry is valued at around 94 trillion dong ($4.03 billion), and accounts for nearly 10% of Vietnam’s agricultural sector. African swine fever was first detected in Asia last August in China, the world’s largest pork producer, where the disease is expected to reduce the herd by up to 200 million pigs this year.